Easy like Sunday morning

Before I head off to bed, I had best blog. Otherwise it will all go to hell and then who will mop up the remaining goo?

After an extended lie-in this morning, (during which I cautioned Mr SC against peeing out the window) we toddled over to the tapas bar for brunch. Nothing like starting the day with spicy food and strong coffee. Delicious. We started on the guest list for our wedding camp at the same time, and got quite far. As we were sitting, Mr SC started playing silly buggers, and drew a biro tattoo on my arm.

When we got home, we chilled for a bit then Mr SC went to the pub to watch some football. When he got back we filled in some job application forms for him, then he listed some stuff on ebay. My motorbike is on there for sale, and we might well sell my old car as well to add to the new motorbike fund. While we sat on the sofa and messed about I drew a tattoo on Mr SC's arm as revenge. He now has a house with a stream coming from an upper window drawn on his arm.

We each put our facebook status to "wants everyone to put the 17th July 2010 in their diaries, and give me your address if you want an invite. We're getting hitched!" today just to make sure the date is set.  What a random day.

The kids are alright

I never expected to be getting married. I have very strong memories of the numerous occasions as a kid that I saw kissing on TV and would cry out that it was "Disgusting! I'm never doing that! Boys are ikky!" Of course, my parents would smile at me and tell me that they would remind me of that in a few years time. At which I would protest all the more. 

Between the ages of 11 and 16, I attended an all-girls school. For this and any number of other reasons, I was a bit of a late-starter when it came to boys. I didn't have my first kiss until I was 15, and it was quite the traumatic experience. It occurred in the early hours of the new millennium, with a somewhat drunk passerby and bore a stunning resemblance to my washing machine's wet cycle. Perhaps even the spin cycle would have been an improvement.

Undaunted, I told myself that it couldn't always be that awful. So began a string of boyfriends, from the unwashed to the unemployed through to the undesirable and unsuitable. Of course it wasn't all bad, but it was always transient. I never expected to still be with these boys six months later, let alone forever. I didn't feel that these relationships were ever going anywhere, although the feeling was almost never mutual. So I took a break from it all.

I spent a lot of time growing up, and did a bit of thinking about where my life was headed. I figured out that I enjoyed being single. That I never wanted to rely on someone else for me to get where I wanted to be. That if I had a kid, it would be as a single mum, and that it would still be just as rewarding if I planned it well. I became very comfortable with the idea of being single forever.

Two years passed, I had the beginnings of a career, had travelled solo and was in the process of buying a flat, when a friend cornered me in the middle of a game of last-man-standing at a camp. We were both under the influence of alcohol, weed, lots of sunshine and too many hours awake when he felt the time had come to ask me out. I turned him down as nicely as I could, which was quite an achievement at 4am.

A few months later, when I had had a chance to think, we were at another event together, with similar circumstances minus the sunshine! I had taken some inspiration from Dr Pepper, and figured that a fling wouldn't do me any harm. If it didn't work out, well he would just be another casualty in my world-destroying wake. Ha! 

So here I am, nearly three years on and less than four months from marrying the one person I can imagine growing old with. I can easily see us as grandparents, giving the grandkids home-made blue smarties (remind me to stockpile whatever that blue colouring is that was removed from smarties...) and then handing them back. I can see us really building a home together, instead of this somewhat student-like mess we currently live in. We already support each other through the hard times, and encourage each other to achieve what we dream of. Even the difficult bits make me really proud of us and the way we manage.

All this is to say that, sometimes ideals change. I never saw this as my future, but now I can't see it any other way. The flux capacitor is broken, and there is no going back to change the past. The hard times will still happen, but the good times will be that much better for someone to share them with. With risk comes reward. Wish us luck.

English Summer

Of course, when there are light evenings, you have to make the most of it. Mr SC and I went for another bike ride tonight, down to the Black Swan, by the Abbey and then back past the pub with the emo barman. Of course we stopped for refreshment at the pub. Sitting on one of the benches outside, it did of course rain. Could anything else be expected of the English summer?

While Mr SC is away...

I will go and get on with some housework in a minute. Then I won't have to do so much on Saturday and can spend more time on sorting out our wedding invites.

But first, a quick note to remind me that work actually isn't too bad at the moment. I am busy all day, and it is great. It makes me want a complete change of job a bit less. That isn't to say that I wouldn't still give up my career in order to try my hand at teaching, or property development, or being a driving instructor, or a home-made frozen-meals business, or a craft supplies shop or a hundred other things I would like to try if only I didn't have to pay the bills. But at the moment, just today, I feel like I don't hate getting up and going to work more than I hate injections and canned baked beans at the same time with added custard.

I think I can, I think I can.

Just in from cycling to the pub for dinner. Today has been gorgeous outside, and working in the office felt like a waste. Born from a need to make the most of the summer that we can, I invited Mr SC out for a cycle ride dinner picnic. He decided that a cycle ride pub dinner would be better, and who am I to argue? Apart from the temperature drop on the way home combined with a little bit of drizzle, we couldn't have asked for a better evening. Might have to get some lights though if we are going to do that more often!

Ouch

I shouldn't wear silly shoes. My crocs have left me with blisters today after traipsing around half of Manchester on a work trip. 

I am still quite tired after the sleepover at the weekend. Catching up on sleep always seems near impossible. I still look half asleep the whole time, and nearly did fall asleep on the train today.

Completed a few more rows of a blanket patch today. Need to step up my efforts, as I already have badges to sew on it once it is my camp blanket!

Last night, She said....

I am a rubbish blogger.

Thursday - Rock pub. Good night, saw Abandon Earth and Property of Dave. Enjoyed them both, although the other band were quite pants.

Friday - Stayed home to have new kitchen tap fitted and inspection from letting agent. Had barbeque here with K and D for dinner.

Saturday - Did not stop. Dropped 125 in for MOT, which it failed. Helped S with sheep. Found out my welly has a hole when I stepped in a water filled tractor rut. Bathed. Went to Brownie Giant Sleepover at indoor play barn. Played and crafted lots. Kept up til 2am. 

Sunday - Up at 6.30 (got to make brownies super-tired) to play some more. Wash large glob of toothpaste out of small brownie's hair. Head home. Bath. Travel to Mr SC's Aunt and Uncle's house for Father's Day barbeque. Sleep in car on the way there and back. Early night.

Monday - Work. Brownies. Dinner. Blog (badly.) Early night?

Is it Friday yet?

Today I had a review at work, and I didn't get fired. That in itself is an achievement. I booked Friday off so that we can have a new kitchen tap fitted and have our rubbish letting agent do their inspection. I booked Mr SC's 125 in for an MOT on Saturday. At lunch I bought him a book about how to start his own business. He would love to (and be really great at) run his own motor garage, and I am behind him 100%. So we need to work out how to make it happen, as well as exactly what sort of garage he wants. Hopefully this book will help him sort his thoughts out.

Tonight I nearly burnt the potato waffles for dinner. I wish I had more time for cooking. At least I have been organised enough to make our lunches ready for tomorrow. Now I am just doing the final work on my little stuffed project, and hopefully it will be done tonight.

Can you tell I am really tired?

Promises, promises.

Apologies for the break in service. I was 'sans flaptop' over the weekend while I attended a guide training weekend, and then was simply to shattered last night to post.

I had a great weekend, learning lots of games and songs to play and sing with the brownies, as well as making lots of friends and realising that I need to make the most of the next 15 months in guiding. There will be a lot of chances for me to do great things in that time, some of which may never occur again. In between training, I managed to help solve a murder mystery, barn dance, make a two course dinner and a tent complete with sleeping bag for a Sindy doll, perform a dance to an Abba song, walk in the grounds of Waddow Hall and eat far too much food.

Sunday evening we went out with our neighbours S and J. They wanted to take us out to thank me for helping with sheep shearing earlier this year, which was really quite lovely after only getting back from training around half 4. After work on Monday there was only time for brownies and dinner before bed.

Today was a good day. I was busy at work which made the day go nice and fast. I came home and have had lots of nice hugs from Mr SC. We had sausage and garlic mushroom toast sandwiches for dinner, and I have been enjoying a glass of wine.

More interesting post tomorrow.

The mint with the hole

In the car passing the Nestle factory, and I am inhaling the thick chocolate smell while Mr SC drives. He tells me about the guy he currently works with that used to have a job in the factory. E was there the time that the polo machine jammed and then exploded. There were polos everywhere. I love this idea, like the pocket-watch in Alice in Wonderland that has springs and cogs exploding all over the place. Beautiful.

It keeps me out of trouble.

I tried going to work with Mr SC this morning. He drove us to his work, then I walked to the station and caught the train the rest of the way. For some reason, occasionally the train gives me migraines. This morning was one such time, and I hadn't had one for months. It was awful.

This evening Mr SC was looking after me and made me dinner. Now he is watching the football while I craft and blog. I will have to take a photo of my project, as it is coming along nicely and I feel somewhat proud. I know stuffed toys are a bit of a craze at the moment, but I have always been a fan of fabric and wool crafts. My first stuffed toy was a cat I made when I was about 7 and spending the night at my Mum's friend's house for the night. I was bored and lonely, so my Mum's friend helped me make a stuffed cat. 

Going back to making a stuffed toy, and I decided to start slowly again, but I am hand stitching the felt this time. I have embroidered it in a simple message for Mr SC, and have ordered some kapok type stuff from ebay.

This evening I left work early to drop my wedding dress in to a lady for alterations. It fits perfectly right down to the soles of my feet, which is where the problems start. The dress carries on, and my legs don't. It was lovely to put it on again though, as I haven't worn it since I bought it. Anyway, thats boring wedding stuff, although I reserve the right to mention it again sooner or later. This is my blog after all.

When I got back, Mr SC had been having a bad day at work and was fighting with his motorbike in order to fit a new cable to it. I decided it was best we get out and chill out, so we went to the pub at the top of the hill and had dinner. Our friends T and K turned up a few minutes later, and we had a good old natter. T has just handed in all his university coursework and is on the hunt for a job. I must remember to ask my Dad if he still has a contact in the recruitment company in London. T is one smart cookie, and really should be snapped up immediately by any smart company.

When we had finished eating, a friend of K's knocked on the pub window and called her outside. K wanders out, and is followed by T. We sit for a minute and chat, before T comes racing back in a few steps ahead of K. There is a bundle in K's arms that looks like a half-full paper sack of potatoes. K sits down with the bundle on her lap, and T pulls away a corner of the bag. A slightly disgruntled chicken pops it's head up, and aims several sharp pecks at T. The landlady admits that she has seen everything now.

K's friend's husband had been given a live chicken by a colleague for him to either keep or eat, whichever he fancied. Husband and wife could not face killing and eating the chicken, so was passing it on to K to add to the small flock they already keep. The origin and sex of the chicken is still unknown, although it was declared by T that it was a bit of a gender bending chicken if it wasn't female. Followed by a discussion on the similarities between chickens and a certain variety of frogs that can spontaneously change sex. 

I love my life.

Consummate Professional

A business meeting at half ten in the morning would usually be best preceded by getting up early, completing one's toilette in a calm manner, a sound breakfast, a peaceful journey into the office where one's papers were assembled the previous working day before arriving at the meeting place with a few minutes to spare. Nothing more really needs to be said does it? Me, behaving like that; who am I kidding!

After scraping Mr SC out of bed this morning and cooking sausage and bacon rolls for breakfast, he was a sweetie and fixed my kitchen tap while I tidied up the conservatory. I fixed the tap last time, so I think he wanted to prove that he could do it just as well as I could. I think it helped that I had loosened all the nuts last time! 

I carried on tidying while he watched the Grand Prix, and then we made an emergency dash to Tesco, which I have been putting off for a couple of weeks. They had sweet williams, and my roses from the garden have died, so I popped a bunch in the trolley. Now, with food in the cupboard and a tidy conservatory, I can sit and craft the evening away. Perfect.

Teenagers, huh.

After doing not much other than speak to my brother and parents on the phone all today, I decided that we should go out to the posh burger place I have been promising to take Mr SC to, followed by bowling. Mr SC had a bath while I half assembled a chair that has been sitting in pieces in our house since  we brought it back from my parents house. I'll finish it in the morning, along with the rest of the organising of the conservatory. 

We took the long road into town, down some lovely country roads. I told Mr SC that he needs to teach me how to do handbrake turns. We parked the car, finding a free ticket valid 'til this morning on the ticket machine, and went for a drink in the rock pub. It made me really miss the nights I used to spend in the rock pub where I grew up. The black walls, sticky floors, cleverly grafitti'd toilet walls and the atmosphere of a pub with 30 years of history as a rock venue will forever hold great memories for me. This place had a similar feel to it, although with more class. I would like to head there on Thursday, as it sounds like a good night.

I have a blister. At the burger place we ordered garlic mushrooms, followed by huge burgers. I dug into the mushrooms far too quickly, and the first one burst and spat boiling mushroom juice onto my lip. The garlic mayonnaise was incredibly garlicky though, just perfect. Mr SC really loved his burger, so it was worth it. We laughed at all the drunk students as we walked around town, and decided that come the autumn we should go on one of the evening town walking tours.

At the bowling alley, I won the first game, but then lost two. I also won a game of air hockey, but lost a game of pool. The bowling alley brought on a whole load more reminiscing about even earlier in my teenage years, when groups of us would bowl and loaf all night, and it was one of the only places we could get served alcohol. Bowling is something else Mr SC and I should do more often, although I think both of us will have achy wrists and shoulders tomorrow.

Blogging

This blog is the first time I have really kept a record for myself. I have made notes on myspace and facebook, that all my friends and family were able to read. Acquaintances could google my name or email address and there I was.  Is it weird that I am keeping a record of my life for myself, but leaving it open for strangers to read? Is it weirder than keeping a record of my life for friends and family?

I talked to Mr SilverClouds about this last night, and whether I should make family/friends/the world at large aware of this page, and he made the valid point of asking if I want people judging me from my writing. I am undecided, but if I leave my blog alone, anyone who does stumble upon it is at least there by happy accident of the internet. I even asked Mr SilverClouds if he wanted to read it, and he isn't quite sure. Curiouser and curiouser.

Another thing that interests me is the idea of a blogroll. I am publicly declaring my stalker tendencies here. Yes I like the writing style of these people, and appreciate them putting content out about themselves, but essentially, I am just plain nosy. Is that wrong, or is it really just human nature? Maybe this blog is just my reciprocal sharing, so that I feel less guilty about reading someone else's life story.

Italian night in.

Had my normal dull day of work; nothing interesting to report. Stopped on the way home to get some petrol and something to munch since I had skipped lunch, and walked out of Asda with an Italian feast for two. Munchy bread bits with stuffed peppers and mini pepperoni for starter, followed by fresh tortellini and sauce., along with a bottle of Chianti. Perhaps I should have found some fava beans...

Now I just need a couple of doughnuts and some clips...

Today I had a phone call at work from a really desperate customer. She was running out of options, and told me that I was "her only hope." Of course, I giggled and replied "just call me Obi-Wan." I don't think she caught the reference. I feel saddened by this.

Chippy tea, I want my chippy tea.

Another busy day, and not a lot of time to stop and smell the roses. My tomatoes are growing nicely and my newly planted fuchsia hasn't died yet. 

I stopped to pick up dinner from the chippy tonight. Guiding district meeting so no time to cook. Chips with salt and vinegar and ketchup and mayonnaise, mmmmmmm.

I need to get to bed as my brain is fried and I really need to get into work early tomorrow so that I don't get the sack. Joy.

I don't want to talk about it.

Up, Laundry, Sandwiches, Commute, Work, Queue, Work, Drive, Cook, Wash up, Bath, Bed.

I need a shorter commute.

Manic Monday

I took charge of my first brownie meeting this evening. It was good, although hectic, and I feel much more confident now. I think I need to be stricter with them about time, and I really need to learn more games and songs to do with them. Now I just need to get a move on with the paperwork before the end of term.

I found this website today and wondered if I could fit some to my little Subaru Justy. I need to learn to use photoshop.